Hi,

some days ago I bought a subscription renewal for Winstep Xtreme from element5.
After purchase a serial code was sent by email (no key file, just a code sequence).
Now I have the problem that I can't find where I have to enter the serial code.

Can someone please point me to the right direction?
I assume I am not the only one who purchased a renewal

thanx
Andreas

If you bought the renewal from Element5 then you are running the German version of Winstep Xtreme, right?

In the top right corner of the About tab of WorkShelf Preferences, what version number does it say?

Also, what date does it say at the bottom in 'This key is valid for all upgrades released until...'?

Yes I'm running the German version.

Version number is 10.9.

The date is January 12, 2011.

Is there a hidden point to click at to bring up a "enter serial" dialog, or a keyboard shortcut?

Errr... Is the text with the date written in red?

There should be a 'Renew Now' button in the top right corner, just below the version number.

Ah, gotcha. The button is there, but it takes you to the renewal page on the browser, right?

Ok, here is the 'problem': when you initially purchased Xtreme, you did it directly from Winstep and got a license key. Winstep in the mean time teamed up with Proxma AG, which is distributing Winstep applications in Germany, and they use serial numbers instead of personalized license keys.

You are in a kind of a 'limbo' now, as clicking the 'Renew Now' button would indeed bring up a dialog from where you could enter your serial number *if* that is what you had originaly registered Xtreme with.

Guess I didn't antecipate this case, sorry.

Here is what you should do:

1. Open My Documents and look for the shorcut to the Winstep user data folder.
2. Double click it and navigate to the Licenses folder.
3. Delete all license key files in the ...\Winstep\Licenses\ folder.
4. Re-start Xtreme.
5. The Registration tab in Preferences should now be back. Click on the Register button, enter your name and serial number in the dialog that pops up, and all should be fine.

Sorry for having to put you through this, and please let me know how it turned out.

Thank you for the fast replies.

Yes, the text with the date is written in red, and yes, the renew button takes me to the website where I already purchased the renewal.

I tried what you suggested and it works so far as it brings up the registration tab. There the lower left button opens the dialog for name and serial.

BUT when I enter name and code exactly as written in the mail from element5 (copy & paste) and click OK there is just an error dialog saying that the license information is invalid.
I then did try to copy the original key file back to the license folder while the dialog is still open and click OK again but that doesn't make any difference. Indeed it's a bit different: the program then says "thank you for registering" but it still says that the license is valid until January 12, 2011 (in red) and the register tab is not visible.

That's kinda weird

I don't know what I should do now.
Maybe it was not a that good idea to use two different registration methods within the same program ...

If you would send me a key file directly, it would just be the same the next time when I renew again, right?

No choice, unfortunately, for a variety of reasons. But if you knew all the changes that were required to pull this off, you would actually be surprised at how well it works. Kind of.

Anyway, this are called 'birth pains' - things eventually straighten out and run smoothly from then on.



Right. But I know why you get that error, and how to fix it:

Download and install this Winstep Xtreme v10.9a silent update from here (remember to exit all running Winstep applications before installing).

This will fix the invalid key prompt you get when you type in your serial.

Once again, my apologies for the trouble and be on the lookout for a new private beta of the next release of Xtreme (subscribe to the Beta Forums if you haven't already).

Hi Jorge,

thanks a lot. The update did the trick.
Everything now works as it should.

That's what I call great support: Fast replies and a working solution.
Kudos!

I've changed it for next release so that if you originaly got your license key from Winstep (instead of a serial number from Element5) then you will be re-directed to Winstep instead of Element5 when renewing (which means you will again get a self-installable license key instead of a serial number).

That's only fair and solves the problem completely.